The Greater Responsibility
by Zarius
Summary: Two people celebrating a party of one discuss the consequences of allowing the mind to wander on special occasions (tag for 3x07 "License to Care")


**DANGER MOUSE**

 **THE GREATER RESPONSIBILITY**

 **WRITTEN BY ZARIUS**

 **(Contains spoilers for "License to Care")**

* * *

"I promise never to forget your birthday again Penfold" Danger Mouse had vowed.

A year later, and the results speak for themselves.

Penfold was in no mood for DM's excuses this time.

DM found himself lost for words, he had made a plan and hadn't stuck to it, he was left feeling bewildered and crest-fallen, he could only imagine how betrayed Penfold must be feeling right now.

Part of him wanted to try and make amends, but it would be much too difficult to convey his feelings in an empathetic manner, not after all the trouble they had gone through in the year prior to this one.

An emotionally compromised Danger Mouse meant compromising the security of the world, and he couldn't permit that to happen again.

So he decided not to endure the silent treatment from Penfold any longer, he knew when he was beat. His own worldview, as shallow as it was narrow, had won out in the end.

He took his leave of the room, leaving Penfold alone with his thoughts.

Penfold waited until the chief had left before switch on on the holographic com-link, enabling him to communicate with the Danger Agency's crime lab.

Engaged in a spirited and lively party mood was Professor Squawkencluck, who was feverishly popping balloons at a frantic pace, each balloon containing a small mechanical creature ranging from buzzing flies to micro giraffes.

"Professor, what exactly are you up to?" Penfold asked.

"Oh I've just been stuck in the lab all week long I figured I'd give myself a little celebration to commemorate the completion of my mighty micro mechanimal petting zoo. Aren't they adorable?"

"Yes, I suppose they are" Penfold spoke half-meaningfully], were he a few years younger he'd have leapt at the chance to head down there and pet the giraffe Squawk had made, but he felt he was older than he'd ever felt in the mind, and his heart was not quite in the same place.

"Hey, liven up birthday boy" Squawk said.

"The chief forgot again Professor, after promising me a year earlier he wouldn't, a Danger Agent's word is his bound...but what does this say about _our_ bound?"

"You have a point Penfold, I tried helping a year ago but we all know it resulted in DM becoming far too considerate, he wilfully allowed Greenback to complete his unethical cloning experiments and nearly take over the world"

"I'm sorry if I exhausted the supply of empathy gas when working out how to best defeat them all Professor" Penfold said.

"Don't worry about it, sometimes caring a little too much can blind you to the faults of an individual, I swiftly realised it's not our place to tell anyone how to feel, we should concentrate more on how they make us feel. Sure, there's times where those we love will annoy us, but there's also times where they rise to impress us with their feats of bravery and competence. Just like you did, just like I do, and just like what Danger Mouse can occasionally do"

"You used the word occasionally with some notable hesitation Professor" Penfold said, sneering.

"Just my pride. The point is, you have the kind of friendship you have with Danger Mouse because every ninety in a hundred percent he pulls through for the world and for his friends. When it counts, he's the greatest in the world, and you shouldn't hold that against him just because his mind wanders occasionally from days of importance to us. Saving the world each day is the greater responsibility. We don't just live for one day, as long as we function, every day for us is brimming with new thoughts, ideas and emotions" Squawk concluded.

"Gee, I didn't think of it like that Professor, and the Chief did look pretty glum when he realised he'd forgotten. I'll tell him it's OK and we'll have cake later" Penfold assured her.

"Splendid, I'd best get back to this Zoo though, one of my elephants dropped their first die-cast doo-doo" she said.

"One quick question Professor...it is just a coincidence that you hold these little 'parties for one on my birthday?"

"Of course it is, I'm the self-congratulatory type, what else do you think I was celebrating?"

Squawkencluck said anxiously, raising an eyebrow.

Penfold hummed a few bars of the happy birthday song in response.

"Oh dream on you hen-pecked hamster" she said, and turned off the communication link.

Penfold sat back in his chair, and continued to serenade himself with birthday songs.


End file.
